Pumping mechanism and system



Feb. 1927.

8 J. A. WARREN PUM?ING MECHANISI AND SYSTEM Filed Dc. ze, 192s 2 SheaetS-Sheel 1 IIIIII lllllll /Al///////////////////////////l//AVII/gli lill aww/nm :l 4. Mar/w1.

J. A. WARREN PUMIING MECHANISM AND SYSTEM Feb.. 8,1927. 1,616,773.

Filed Deo. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 8, 1927'.

UNITED JAMES A. WARREN, OF DENVEIL'COLORADO.

. PUMPING MECHANISM AND SYSTEM.

Applieatinn lfiled vDecember 26, 1923. Serial No. 682,721.

This invention. embodies improvements in pumping mechanism and systems.

lVhile the invention primarily has been devised for use inthe pumping outof oil wells, and, equivalently speaking, other deep fluid containing wells or shafts, or, for that matter, in association with bodies or volumes, generally, encompasslng the working barrel of the pump, in immersing or submerging relation, and although for the purposes of simplicity of illustration and description the same may be more conveniently disclosed with reference fluid or liquid to oil wells or analogous liquid containing;l

shafts, still it would appearthat the essential characteristics of the improvements might well be employed in other pumping relations. It is to be distinctly understood and emphasized at the outset, therefore, that the improvements are not necessarily to be restricted to any one particular sphere ,of analogous or equivalent usefulness.

In attaining the desired ends of maximum eiiiciency. durability and economy in operations with a simple combination and ar-` rangement of a minimum number of elements, little liable to get disrupted or otherwise out of order and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, assemble, repair and ,install one of the primary objects 0f my invention has been to devise means for causing the pumping pulsations to be semi-automatically effected, as it were, under an auX- iliary or operating pressure fluid supply alternately delivered to the opposite pressure .faces of a piston which forms a partfof a hollow open-ended or tubular plunger liq-A uid displacing element that has valvular means to control the passage therethrough of the liquid to be pumped, as will' hereinafter more fully appear.

It is believed, however, that the foregoing as well as other objects and advantages of the invention will be so clearly apparent, as incidental to the following disclosure, that no useful purpose would be served by further enlarging upon the same initially, and with these, prefacing remarks, therefore, refcreuce will now be immediately had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating certain lpractical embodiments of the improvements, in which drawings like reference characters designate the lsame -parts in the several views, of which latter attached to a centrally Figure 1 longitudinal sectional t5 I through the working barrel and associated elements of one'forin ofthe pump; Figure 2 1s an analogous lview on a smaller scale v and additionally'sliowing the attachment of a standard "oil well working valve, which may or may not be employed with my improvements as desired; Figure 3 is av broken away elevational view, partly in section, more particularly illustrating the pumping apparatus as a system in association Vwith a well; and Figure 3a is an elevational View of a pressure tank element, which may be and Ipreferably is employed with but which is shown as disconnected from the Figure 3, for automatically' controlling or maintaining constant the desired pressure through the operating pressure fluid lines of Figures 1, 2 and 3.

First referring although the same description will generally apply to the other figures, the numeral 10 designates the pump barrel, preferably forme-d as an integral unit, and it provides for an inlet chamber 11 for the inflow of the' 80 of standard construction, employing an aXi- 90 ally bored base-closure valve' seat 13 for the.

a spider-like crown or cage 15.

The outer end of the foot valve element pump barrel, a ball valve 14 therefor, and

stramer 16, which in the drawings is shownl apertured coupling member 17 that has a cylindrical extension 18, for threaded connection with the strainer, and also a reversely disposed cylindrical 100 extension 19 thatgmay be externally thread` ed for connection with a tubular' element, indicated at 20 as the well tubing, and which preferably is formed with an internal conical seat for complementally receiving and 105 seating a conically barrel 10. A

It is to be particularly noted, however,

beveled end of the pump or assembled whole assembled apparatus of 7o specifically to Figure il,

inlet, lower or foot valve, being actuated to referably associated with the usual cylinder with an operating pressure fluid line for the the well bore is positive actuation of the piston, with its said hollow p)lunger, as distinguished from its actuation 'y the actual fluid or liquid being pumped.

One end 24 of the hollow plunger is 1n communication with said inlet chamber 11,

while the other end 25 thereof' is shown as being in valve-controlled communication with the space outside of the head of the um barrel 10,.which space as illustrated by t e drawings would be the interior of the well tubing 20. It is understood that the well tubing, as distinguished from the well casing andwhich tubing may be withdrawn from time to time for any purposes as sired, is lowered within and extends entire-l ly thrpugh the well casing proper, and in most instances of very deep wells the tubing rejects, or extends, a very great distance beyond the lower end ofthe casing, where through rock, shale or other hard formations, but in any instances where the well casing itself should extend approximately to the bottom of the well, then the space above referred to would, of course, be the interior of the well casing. In this latter event, the conical seating of the pump barrel might be substituted for by threaded connection with the strainer element 16, or the coupling ele-ment 17 therefor, without an connection with the well casing. In re erring to the aforesaid space, therefore, it

j may be within either the well tubing, or -in some instances within the well casing, or the equivalent of either, when the pump is employed in relations other than a well. At all events, the hollow plunger element is reciprocatingly disposed through axial bearing apertures of the partitioning wall 21 and the head 26 of the pump barrel, the end 25 being provided with a suitable checkvalve control, lndicated by the ball valve 27 and spider-like crown or cage 28 therefor.

The wall of the working cylinder 22 is provided with a port 29 that is in communication with one end of the cylinder, on one l side of the piston 23, and with a port 30 that is in communication with the other end of the cylinder, on the opposite side of the piston, the ports 29 and 30 being in respect1ve communication with operating pressure fluid line pipes 31 and 32, which may be threaded into apertures 33-34 through the barrel 10 is transversely par? yplunger' which may be of slightly different structure and the fact that the inlet chainber 11 is made much longer to provide for the attachment of the additional element l36, which may o r may not be employed with the other structure, as desired. This attachment 36 isa standard oil well working valve,

as will be fully understood without going into details, but which may be briefly described as embodying the plural cup section" 37, having an elongated spider-like crown or cage element 38, housing a ball check valve 39, and terminating in a hollow open-v euded nipple 40 for threaded attachment to the end 24 of the tubular plunger. When this valve attachment 36 is employed in combined association with the other features of my improvements, and itmay be so employed or not as desired, the end part of the porlgilon 24 of the tubular plunger may prefera turesy41, to permit of the through, into the hollow 4lunger, of the fluid or liquid being pumpe additionally of its passage thereinto through the Ehollow nipple 40.'

At this point it may not be amiss to note that the assemblies of Figures 1 to 3 are intended for` use with a constant operating pressure fluid which is caused to alternately flow in reverse directions'through the conduit lines 31 and 32, from-and to the same pressure establishing ,tank or source, or, in other words, that the pipes 31-32 alternately function as inlet and exhaust lines with reference to the working cylinder 22.

The operating pressure fluid conduit lines 31 and 32 are in communicationwith a fluid pressure establishing .source of lany suitable character. For the purposes of illustration, although any equivalent means may be employed, this is shown at Figure 3 as including the coupling pipeconnections 42 and 43 respectively opening directly into the opposite ends of a pressure establishing" cylinder 44, without the interposition of any controlling valve mechanism and actuating means therefor, Whether complex or otherwise, and. the said cylinder-44 having a piston 45 therein thatis reciprocated by a Connecting rod element 46 which is actuated by any suitable power, whereby the operatingpressure iuid is caused to alternately flow in reverse directions through the lines 31 and 32. v The ,pipe connections 42. and 43 in turn may'have branch pipes 47 and 48 that are in passage there- 4lll) any suitable manner, for instance by cou-- pling up with the connectingr rod element '46.Aand said tank 49, is further provided with a pop-ofi valve or gage 53', which may he regulated to automatically relieve excess pressure in the tank overthe predetermined desired pressure through the operating pressure fluid lines.

, I prefer the use of oil as the operating pressure fluid, although any suitable fluizl. whether inelastic or elastic, might be employed for supplying the pressure fluid lines, and with the use of -oil as the operating pressure fluid or liqu-id. then the tank 49 would contain a substantial volume of oil on which a head of compressed air would be maintained by the air pump line 52.

For the purpose ofillustrating a general application of the equipment shown in Fig- ,nres 1 `to 3, inclusive, an oil well or the 1 like is indicated at Figure 3 by the numeral 54, and the usual well easing or lining tubing therefor is indicated at 55.

Operations.

' Considering' Figures 1 and 3-3` the pump piston 23 is illustrated in neutral piosition. with the connecting rofl 46 at rest. so that both the check Valves 27 and l14 are shown as seated.

Assuming now that power is applied to the connecting rod 46 to move the pressure cvliuder piston 45 to the right, then the operating pressure fluid at thev right side of the pressure piston 45 is forced bv way of the pipe ,32 into the pump cylinder .Y 22 through the port 30. in a direction to actuate the pump'piston 23 on its non-pumping stroke` the exhaust from the opposite side of the piston 23 heine provided for b v the port 29` portwav 35 and the pipe 31. in communication with the left end of the pressure cvlinder 44. During` lthis non-pumping stroke the foot valve 14 is obviously held firmly seated, by the combined forces ot gravitation and the pressure of the volume of linuid thereover, while the check valve 27 is moved toits open position h v the rusliot liquid passing from the inlet chamber 11,

through the hollow plunger into the 'tubine' 20,'Qr its equivalent. owing to the displacement'of liquid in the inlet chamber 11 lcheck valve by the entering plunger end 24. On this stroke there is no displacement of the column of liquid, say oil, within the tubing 20, o1; iii-other words there is only admitted therein an additional charge of the oil 4being pumped.

At the end of the non-pumping stroke, the pressure piston 45 is moved to the left, when a reversal of the flow of the operating pressure fluid, say oil, is caused by way of the then inlet pipe 31, the portway 35 and port 29, entering the pump cylinder 22 at the opposite end .to that of its former entry, for operating the pump piston 23, with its hollow plunger, on its pumping stroke, the exhaust then being` by way of the port 30 and pipe 32, in communication with the right side of the pressure cylinder 44. During this pumping stroke the plunger controlling 27 is obviously maintained firm- ,ly seated, owing to the pressure of liquid opposing its direction of movement, so that a column of oil in advance of thenow electively pumping hollow plunger,which column orv volume is'measured by the cross-sectional area of the tubular plunger and the length of its stroke, is displaced upwardly within and discharged from the tubing 20. At the same time, the foot valve I4 is maintained in its open position by virtue of both the p ressure of oil, seeking entrance to thechamber 11 through the inlet 12, and owing to a suctional force in the same direction caused by the tendency to create a vacuum head on the oil in the chamber'll, or rather perhaps in the hollow plunger as the same is withdrawn from the chamber 11. l

Substantially the same alternating operations would result, but with increased output. by the use ofthe pumping mechanism of Figure v2, excepting it would appear that vthe hollow plunger controlling valve 27 need not necessarily be employed always because,

on'tlie pumping stroke. a substantial volume the upperporof oil would be forced from tion of the chamber 11 by the working valve 36,l or sucker, through the tubular plunger .v

by way of the hollow nipple 40 and the apertures 41, into the well tubing above the pump barrel, the flow ot' which would open the valve`27 substantially. if employed, even on the pumping stroke. Hence, there would be an auxiliary displacement of oil upwardlywithin the well tubing` 20. in addition to the n normal displacement by the tubular plunger, which auxiliary displacement would be ap- .proximately equal to the charge of oil pumped by the working valve or sucker 36 itself. up through the tubular plunger, and which charge or volume would function as an elevating column, or analogously to a Huid piston or plunger. whereby there would.

he a dual concurrent pumplng, as it were, providing. for maximum discharges at. eachp'umpmg stroke.

- equalizing tank 31-32. it will be obvious that any excess ythere will be an oil supply feed stabilizing the saine, by

ures 1 or 2, therefore,

that the pulsating pressure in the tank 49,fcaused by the pumping of the air therein through the line 52, will be automatically relieved. It will like-` wise be obvious that, should the operating oil pressure through the pipe lines 31-32 fall below the predetermined desired amount, or the maintained pressure in the tank 49, thereto, for virtue of the branch lines 47-48, with the check valves 50--51 therein, which check valves open only, as before described, in the direction of flow from said equalizing or balancing tank 49.

With either of the 'constructions of Figwhen combined with suitable operating pressure establishing means, such as shown at Eigure 3 or the equivalent thereof, and also as preferably associated with suitable pressure -stabilizing means, such as shown at Figure 3a or the equivalent thereof, it will be clearly apparent from all of the foregoing, it is believed,

pumping operations may be thus automatically continued indefinitely,

without any mechanically controlled or actuated valvular additions whatsoever` just as long as the pressure piston 45 is -being operated.

Although I have thus completely disclosed the improvements, the objects, advantages and functioning of which it is believed will be clearly apparent from the drawings and foregoing disclosure, ft will nevertheless be understood that I do not wish to unnecessarily restrict the invention to all of the details exactely as set forth and illustrated, excepting as they may comy within the terms of the ensuing claims, or equivalent elements or combinations thereof, or as fairly interpreted in the light of the specication if requisite. What Ido claim, is

1. As an assembled unit of pump-mechanism, of the character disclosed, the combination of an elongatedv hollow plunger carrying a pist-on between its ends, which ends are respectively provided with inlet-means and outlet means, a working valve embodying an elongated hollow base section, the ends of which are respectively provided with inlet means and outlet means, a check valye rage that houses said as new and patentable,

tending Lemma;

munication with the' inlet end of said hollow plunger. y l

2. As an assembled unit of pump mechanism, of the chaigoter disclosed, the combination of an elongated open-ended tubular plunger carryinga piston between. its en'ds, which ends respectively lprovide an inlet end and an outlet end` a working valve embodying an elongated hollow base section that has respective inlet means and outlet means at its opposite ends, ling the outlet means v of said working valve, and means connecting theoutlet end of s aid working valve to and in open communication with the inlet end of said tubular plunger, which said connecting means embodies a l check valve and termia check 'valve controlnates in a communicating hollow open-ended nipple.

3. As an assembled unit of pump mechamsm, nation of an elongated open-ended tubular plunger carrying a piston between its ends,A

of the character disclosed, the combiwhich ends respectively provide a threaded inlet end and anv outlet end, the said inlety end also being radially apertured, a'working valve embodying an "elongated hollowbase section that has respective inlet means and outlet means at its opposite ends, a ball check valve controlling the outlet means of jsaid working valve, and means connecting the outlet end of said working valve to and in open communication with the inlet end .of said tubular plunger, which ing meansembodies a cage that houses said ball check valve and terminates in a communicating tubular -threaded nipple attached to said threaded inlet end, of said tubular plunger, in proximity to the radially apertured portion thereof'.

4. As an assembled unit of'pump mechanism, of the charactr disclosed, the combination of a pump barrel having an end head. a partitioning head and a continuing barrel wall section extending from said partitioning head, the said parts forming a liquid inlet chamber and a piston working cylinder, and portways being provided for an operating pressure fluid line in communication with the' opposite ends of said cylinder, an elongated open-ended tubular plunger having outlet and inlet ends, respectively, ex-

through axial bearing apertures of said end and lpartitioning heads,f `and carrying a piston disposed within said cylinder, a check valve in controlling association with one of said inlet or outlet ends, and a check valve and seat therefor closing the outer end of said liquid inlet chamber, eachn of the said check valves beinghousedin restrained relation against unlimited movement away from their respective seats.

saidf connecty lio i anism, of the character disclosed,the combination/of a pump barrel having an lend head, a partitioning head and. a continuin barrel wall section extending from sai partitioning head, the said parts forming a liquid inlet chamber and a piston working cylinder, and portways being provided for an operating Vpressure fluid line. in communication with the'opposite ends of said cylinder, an elongated open-ended tubular plunger having outlet and inlet ends, respectively, extendin through axial bearin apertures of said en and partitioning hea s, and carrying a piston disposed within Asaid cylinder, a working valve disposed within-said liquid inlet chamber and embodying an elongated hollow base section, the ends of which valve to and in communication with bein are respectively provided with inlet and outlet means, a check valve controlling the outlet means of said working valve, and means connecting the outletvend of said working v the inlet end of `said hollow plunger. l ,Y 6. In'pumping mechanism, the combina# tion of a length of tubing, a pump barrel having an end head, a partitioning head and a lcontinuingfbarrel wall section extending from said artitioning head, the 'said parts forming a liquid inlet chamber and a piston working cylinder, the said extending section detachably' seated within the lower portlon of said tubing, and vthe said end head having threaded openings .for portways leading to the opposite ends ofsaid cylinder, an

- elongated open-ended tubular plunger having outlet and inlet ends, respectively, ex-

, tending through axial apertures of said end and partitioning heads and carrying a piston disposed within said cylinder, a check valve in controlling association with one of said inlet or outlet ends, and a pair of pipe lines connected at their. lower ends within said'threaded openinvs of said end head and extending upwardly within said tubing, thesaid pipe lines functioning both as means forconcurrently delivering and exhausting an operating pressure Huid, to and-from opposite ends of said cylinder, and also asa means for lowering and wlthdrawing the pumping unit independentlyof its encomtion of a length of tubing, a coupling member for connection with the lower end thereof, adapted for the suspension of a strainer element, and having an internal upstandin seatingrecess, a pump barrel having an en head, a partitioning head and a continuing barrel wall section extending from said partitioning head, the said parts forming a liquid inlet chamber'and a piston workmg cylinder, the lower end of said extending section being adapted for facile seating 'within said seating recess, and-the said end head having threaded'openings for portways leading to the opposite ends of said cylinder, an elongated open-ended tubular plunger having outlet and inlet ends, respectively, operating through said end and partitioning heads and carrying a piston disposed within said cylinder, a check valve in controlling association with one of said inlet or outlet ends,'and a pair of pipe 'lines connected at their lower. ends within the threaded openings of said end -head and extending upwardly through said tubing.

Y8. In pumping mechanism and systems,

the combination of a length of tubing, a

pump barrel therein having a piston working cylinder, a liquid inlet chamber and portways leading to opposite ends of said cylinder, an elongated hollow plunger carrying a piston between its ends, which ends are respectively provided with inlet means and outlet means, the said piston being disposed within said cylinder and with the outlet and inlet ends of said plunger operating respec- A Q communication with a pressure establishing source for concurrently delivering and exhausting, in alternating cycles, an operating pressure fluid through said conduit lines.

` In testimony JAMES A. WARREN.

whereof, I afin? my signature. *Y 

